Happy Thanksgiving Weekend

 Kicking Thanksgiving week and weekend off was Liam's Thanksgiving program. We got to have lunch together and then they performed. Liam has been singing the songs for weeks and so excited to preform. This was the place settings. Their darling handprints made into turkeys.

This year with the 3 year rotation I worked Thanksgiving. Joy asked months ago if we would be interested in hosting and we said yes but it couldn't be on Thanksgiving because I was working. The day at work was pretty peaceful...working most holidays are because all the extra staff isn't working. Although I don't like being away from my family I really do love my job. It often feels more like a calling. The spirit at work is at time undeniable and I feel like I can see the angels surrounding them....protecting them.

Since we weren't doing Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving they decided to get together at Brit's and do most of the Christmas stuff. They wanted to do a cousin gift exchange but that has never been a good experience for us so we have opted out and I just sent Matt with gifts for the kids to open so they wouldn't feel left out. As a side note I still feel lost about my relationship with the Brower's and I think I have finally found a place where I'm at peace with it. There just isn't much common ground. Matt's sister's tried to pressure me into buying Matt matching shirts with the rest of the adult men in the family as a joke. It was a shirt I knew he wouldn't like and would never wear again. I just asked Matt and he had no interest in doing that. But one of the sisters made the comment that we make plenty of money to buy a shirt to wear once and never wear it again. Which made it so I didn't want to be part even more....so rude! Matt has said it isn't important to him if I have a relationship with them and he's ok if we don't have to invite them to do everything with us. Now that he has decided that I feel like it has relieved the pressure to have a good relationship with them and I can just take it as it comes. Back to the fun stuff. Liam loves the set of these that he got as a gift but they are bigger so he was super excited about these and all the things he can build with them.

Recently Emy has loved kanoodle so when I saw this kanoodle genius I thought she would love it

Gracie has had some struggles with anxiety recently. It seems to have started when she threw up on the bus about a month ago. Every morning she makes herself sick about it possibly happening again. This is one of the things I saw that people had had good luck with. It has a sachet that you take out and microwave then it makes the stuffed animal warm and smell like lavender. She now uses it every night before bed. Along with oils and some technique breathing. She seems to be doing better most of the time. Im so proud of her for being willing to learn some things coping mechanisms to help herself when she feels like that.

Hallie got a card game

Matt sent me this picture at work. Liam loves his new toys.

Justin and Maddi left part way thru Thursday so they grabbed a family picture. I don't know that we'll every have a family picture to frame but we'll keep trying.

They did soup and scones for dinner. Initially I thought I would be to tired to go but decided to suck it up and go have dinner with everyone else. The ciaos and disarray is hard for me but I'd do anything for my little family.

The kids of coarse put together a show and they did a good job

After the show we called it a night. Everyone was tired and ready to head for bed. Part of me wondered at this point if I should have just had Brit host and I could have come late but we can only live and learn. Time to get ready for tomorrow. Luckily everyone wasn't in a hurry so we slept in and they said they'd be here at 11. But 11 cam e and went and still no one so Matt and I got all of our stuff done and set up so we'd be ready. Joy wanted to do a craft for the kids so Hallie helped with that.

Everyone got here about 1230-1 and by then we were about ready to eat. I told Matt what makes Thanksgiving special to me than any other meal is getting to cook together and the conversations we have. I don't get that with the Brower's and that s hard but I enjoyed the conversation I have with the kids and Matt while we set everything up and made our portion of the food.

We had plenty of food...I was really glad I bought take out boxes for everyone to take home food after the meal

Maddi joined us since she couldn't go home because of work and I loved it.

It worked out well because everyone came and went pretty quickly because they had all made plans for that evening. Chris and Krissy were headed to a concert, Brit and Joy's families were headed to a play, and Tiff and Ris wanted to get on the road before to late. I'm working on not having expectations but its hard because in my family everyone helps cleanup. I often get really frustrated when no one helps clean up but it helps that they just headed in their own direction and I didn't have to clean up and watch them relax on the couch. Matt and Maddi helped a lot cleaning up and we had all the kids take the chairs and tables back to the basement. 

Nic and her family were at Ron and Jill's for Thanksgiving so she called Saturday to see if we wanted to meet up for lunch and to do some shopping. Of coarse we said yes! We met up at Zaos and had lunch before going to Hobby Lobby. 

It's always chaos when we have all these kids together but it's so fun to see all of our relationships develop. They are my favorite. Grateful for all the people I have in my life that make me want to do better and love me regardless of my short comings.